Combined hinge and catch



Jan. 16, 1962 G. E. DE JONG COMBINED HINGE AND CATCH Filed March 4, 1959 W G o ge 5. Decn 3,016,563 Patented Jan. 16, 1962 3,016,563 COMBINED HINGE AND CATCH George Edward De Jong, 509 Empire Bldg., Rockford, 11]. Filed Mar. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 797,077 3 Claims. (Cl. 16-139) This invention relates to a device for supporting a door on a frame to swing between the opened and closed positions about a fixed axis and for latching the door in the closed position.

The general object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character in which the supporting means and the latching means are incorporated into one compact unit thereby conserving space and simplifying the correlation of the parts in the mounting of the door.

A more detailed object is to combine a hinge With a magnetic catch in a novel manner so that the catch is mounted automatically and in the proper position as an incident to the mounting of the hinge.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a cabinet having a door mounted with the device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the combined hinge and catch.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 in FIG. 3.

While the invention may be utilized in various structures, it is shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration incorporated in a conventional cabinet structure having a door 11 supported on a frame 12 to swing about a vertical axis. The door 11 is supported by one or more hinges 13, each comprising two hinge members 14 and 15 pinned together to turn relative to each other with one of the members fixed to the door 11 and the other fixed to an upright 16 of the cabinet frame. A pull 16, attached to the outer side of the door adjacent the free edge thereof, facilitates opening and closing the door.

In the present instance, two hinges of the so called knife type are used to mount the door. In hinges of this type, the hinge members or Wings are constructed so that, when mounted on the frame and the door, they are substantially concealed by the door when the latter is in the closed position (FIG. 1). The wing 14 adapted to be mounted on the upright support 16 of the frame 12 is formed in an angle and is mounted with one leg 17 of the angle disposed in a plane parallel to the plane of the door and the other leg 18 projecting inwardly away from the plane of the door to lay along the edge of the upright support member. A hole is punched in each leg for receiving a screw 19 driven into the frame member to hold the hinge in position. A flange 20, formed on the wing 14 to project outwardly in a horizontal plane extends along the top or bottom edge of the door 11 and is pinned to a flat plate fastened to the edge of the door 11 and comprising the other wing 15 of the hinge. Upon opening and closing, the door swings about the axis. of the pin.

In mounting a door with two hinges of the type described, one hinge is mounted adjacent the top edge of the door and the other at the bottom edge. The two hinges are spaced apart so that the distance between the flanges 20 is slightly less than the length of the door 11. A notch 21 is cut into the top and bottom edges of the door to receive the flanges and the flat wing members whereby the hinge 13 is concealed when the door 11 is closed.

In accordance with the present invention, one or more of the hinges supporting the door is constructed in a novel manner to incorporate a magnetic catch to latch the door in the closed position. In mounting a door on an ordinary cabinet, as shown in the drawings, one such catch would ordinarily be sufiicient.

While various types of magnetic catches may be utilized, herein the catch 22 consists of one or more permanent magnets 23 disposed between pole pieces 24 which lie along the poles and extend beyond one side of the magnets to engage a strike. In the present instance, two such magnets 23 are utilized and are mounted one on top of the other with one pole piece separating them and one pole piece disposed along each the top and bottom sides of the assembly. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the center pole piece is approximately twice as thick as the end pole piece since it carries flux from both magnets. The catch 22 is mounted adjacent the inwardly projecting leg 18 of the wing 14 of the hinge fixed to the frame of the cabinet as shown in FIG. 3. An L-shaped cover plate 25 overlies the magnets 23 and pole pieces 24 and extends downwardly along the side of the catch opposite the frame. A pin 26 projects through the cover plate 25, the magnets 23 and the pole pieces 24 and is riveted to a flange 27 formed on the wing 14 to hold the component parts of the catch together and to fasten the catch to the hinge.

The pole pieces 24 of the catch project outwardly from the catch toward the door 11 and present pole faces 24- engaging an armature 27 mounted on the door thereby to latch the door in the closed position. In the present invention the armature 27 comprises a flange formed on the wing 15 of the hinge and extending upwardly along the inner face of the door 11 adjacent the pole pieces 24 of the catch. The relative position of the component parts of the hinge and the magnetic catch is such that the pole pieces of the catch engage the door when the latter is closed. At least the wing 15 is made of magnetic material so that the armature 27 completes flux circuits 28 (FIG. 4) which thread through one of the end pole pieces 24, the adjacent magnet 23, the center pole piece and the armature. Preferably the wing 14 on which the catch is mounted is made of non-magnetic material whereby the flux circuit 28 will be substantially as shown in FIG. 4.

It will be apparent that a combined hinge and catch, as described above, eliminates the necessity of having a catch mounted adjacent the free end of the door. In addition, the catch and the strike are correctly positioned automatically upon the mounting of the hinge and thus less steps are required in mounting the door to the frame. Since the catch is positioned adjacent to the axis about which the door turns, the strike remains within the attracting power of the magnets throughout a greater range of movement of the free end of the door than would a strike mounted to coact with a catch mounted adjacent the free end of the door. Thus the door has less tendency to stand ajar than would a door mounted in the conventional manner.

I claim:

1. A device for use in supporting a door on a frame, said device having, in combination, a hinge member adapted to be mounted on the frame and having a flange projecting laterally outwardly, a second hinge member adapted to be mounted on the door and pivoted on said flange to turn relative to said first hinge member about a vertical axis, a permanent magnet mounted on said first hinge member and having pole pieces projecting toward the door, and an armature fixed to said second hinge member to turn into and out of engagement with said pole pieces, said armature and said magnet coacting to 'hold said door in the closed position.

2. For use in mounting ta door on a frame, the combination of, two hinge members pivotally joined together to'swing relative'toeach other about a predetermined axis betweendoor open and door closed positions, and

a magnet assembly including a permanent magnet and laterally spaced pole pieces and rigidly secured to one of said members, said pole pieces presentingnpole'faces engaging at least a portion of the other of said members when the members are in the door closed position and -saidother member being made of magnetic material to constitute an armature for said magnet assembly where- 'bythe latter holds the hinge members in the door closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,489,154 Relton Nov. 22, 1949 2,527,403 Davis et a1. Oct. 24, 1950 2,770,759 Ahlgren Nov. 13, 1956 2,791,346 Tell May 7, 1957 2,877,040 Curtiss et a1 Mar. 10, 1959 

